On December 19, 2014, President Obama signed into law the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (H.R. 5771) which is a combination of five bills that provide incentives for charitable giving.

Among them was the IRA Charitable Rollover provision, first enacted in 2006, whereby donors age 70 1/2 or older are able to contribute up to $100,000 annually from an IRA account and avoid federal tax consequences. When the amount withdrawn from the IRA account is paid directly to the charity, it is not counted as federally taxable income. In addition, the IRA charitable gift amount counts against the donor's required minimum distribution (RMD). However, the gift may not be counted as a charitable deduction on federal tax returns. The new law will applies to gifts made through December 31, 2014.

History: The IRA Charitable Rollover was first enacted in 2006 as part of the Pension Protection Act. The Rollover and other critical giving incentives were reinstated through 2011 as part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. On January 2, 2013, the President signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. In addition to the extension of the IRA Rollover provision for 2013, Congress provided two special transition rules: 1) Qualified distributions made by February 1, 2013, could be counted retroactively for the 2012 tax year. 2) Taxpayers who took a withdrawal from an IRA (mandatory or otherwise) during December 2012 could make a cash contribution to a qualified charity before Feb. 1, 2013 and treat the gift as if it had been a direct distribution to charity that qualified as an IRA Rollover gift for 2012.

Always consult a tax professional when thinking about making a major charitable gift or a gift under this law. IRA custodians may send your gift to ECHO at 17391 Durrance Road, Fort Myers, FL 33917. Our federal tax ID number is 23-75283. For more information about how to support small-scale farmers through ECHO, please call David Erickson, Chief Organizational Development Officer, at 239.543.3246. There are several opportunities for gifts that could be provided by this new law; but because we are prohibited from offering advice, this information should not be construed as tax or legal advice.

ECHO

Reducing Hunger, Improving Lives, Worldwide

ECHO is much more than a farm! Founded in 1981, we are an agricultural support agency to the world. ECHO resources include a large knowledge base of specialized information, technical support based on years of experience, and an extensive seedbank focused on highly beneficial, underutilized plants. We work to identify, validate, document and disseminate best practices in sustainable agriculture and appropriate technology. ECHO creates opportunities for community leaders to network with one another to share experiences, ideas and solutions.